2013 archive

June 27

The prevalence of traumatic brain injuries such as concussions among students points to a silent epidemic that demands a wake-up call from parents, coaches and other adults, Canadian neurosurgeons and psychologists say.

For doctors-in-training, long hours and a lack of sleep have long been considered rites of passage into the world of medicine. Now, in the largest Canadian study of its kind, researchers have found the gruelling schedules of medical residents can pose a major risk to their health.

June 9

Pet owners may enjoy health benefits such as lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels from walking a dog or stroking a cat, cardiologists say. The American Heart Association has reviewed medical studies and concluded that pet owners may have a reduced risk of heart disease.

June 4

Dr. Reena Pattani led a literature review that looked at the effectiveness of probiotics, live bacteria that can take up residence in digestive tracts, in treating common side effects of antibiotics, such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea and life-threatening side effects such as Clostridium difficile infection.

May 30

Hospitals produce a significant amount of waste per operation and a group of Western University researchers thinks it is possible to trade old operating room habits for ‘greener’ horizons while protecting patients.

March 28

Protecting children playing hockey, soccer, football, basketball and baseball from serious brain injuries could take simple solutions like padding goal posts and enforcing existing rules, a Canadian study suggests.

March 1

Drivers who talk on a cellphone — even one that's hands-free — while executing a left-hand turn at an intersection could be putting themselves at serious risk, say neuroscientists who imaged the brain to see how it copes with competing tasks.

Feb. 26

Family physicians’ offices appear to be discriminating against the poor, a Toronto study concludes, after finding they are more willing to take on people of higher socioeconomic status as new patients.

Feb. 15

They’re cheery, outgoing and they poke fun at each other as often as they can. They are not a family in a traditional sense, but a family of volunteers, brought closer by the nature of their work. Where they help, death is a constant visitor.

Jan. 23

Longevity wise, it’s almost like you never took a drag. Butting out permanently before age 40 can restore the life expectancies of smokers to virtually normal lengths, shows a new study out of Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital.

Jan. 21

They are the heads of four of Ontario's largest hospitals: University Health Network, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children and St. Michael's Hospital. They sit down with Steve Paikin to detail how they handle the toughest decisions in healthcare.

It's about 9:30 on an icy-cold January morning, and Dr. Stephen Hwang is greeting his first patient of the day at Seaton House, a 434-bed shelter for homeless men on a quiet street in downtown Toronto.

Jan. 5

It was after dark about two years ago when midwife Jay MacGillivray got a phone call from staff at St. Michael’s Hospital, where she works, asking her to help care for an HIV-positive patient who had just arrived and was in labour.